Sweet Dark Dreams
by Akane.LuvsYou
Summary: Ereve is being tormented by the wicked, evil Black Mage, and its Princess is not gonna take it sitting down. Princess Nyx trains to battle against the terror plaguing her country, and must choose the path she wishes to take to become a Cygnus Knight. The night of her Gala, she meets a mysterious man and follows him into the night, where she learns the sweet taste of darkness


_Sweet Dark Dreams_

Ereve is being tormented by the wicked and evil Black Mage, and its Princess is not gonna take it sitting down. Princess Nyx, against her mother's wishes, trains to battle against the terror plaguing her country, and now it is time for her to choose the path she wishes to take to become a full fledged Cygnus Knight. The night of her Graduation Gala, she meets a mysterious man and follows him into the night, where she experiences the sweet taste of darkness.

**Chapter 1: A Princess' Resolve**

.xx.

Nyx slowly opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. Her light turquoise silk organza curtains hazed the rest of her room from sight with its translucent material. She ran her fingers across its smooth, silky texture, and attempted to slightly part them, when the blinding rays of the sun suddenly fought her away and she quickly closed them again. She snuggled deeper into her fluffy, snow white comforter that's warmed her body. She didn't want to leave its soothing heat, and wanted to cocoon herself in it as it eased her fatigue. Nyx languidly brought her hand up beside her, and clenched her feather stuffed pillow, desperately not wanting to leave her bed.

But she knew better, she had work to do.

"Well," Nyx rose from her cozy and serene canopy bed, and kneeled on all fours, "duty calls," she reached out her hand to part the canopy to expose her room, allowing her eyes appraise the space that was her bedroom.

The sun shone through large, skyline window, blinding Nyx once more before her eyes finally adjusted. Everything was the same as she left it last night. Her living set near the fireplace, which she used as a place to socialize with guests, still had yesterday's tea on the table. She looked over to where her walk in closet was, and saw that the door was still slightly open from when she entered it last night. And right there on the floor was her Nobeless uniform, strewn about and disheveled on the ground due to her fatigue and laziness. Nyx sighed; she was so tired from yesterday's Nobeless training that all she could do was bathe and go to sleep when she got home.

Every day, Nyx would come home sweaty and tired. Cuts and bruises on every part of her body, and she is only left with enough strength to hobble into the tub with the assistance of her attendants. Normal treatment you'd expect from a girl training to become a knight and protect Ereve.

Except Nyx was different.

She was the Princess of Ereve, daughter to Empress Cygnus, and abandoned her duties as princess to become a Nobeless and train to be a Cygnus Knight.

Of course, her mother greatly disapproved of Nyx's decision of becoming one. Her daughter joining the Cygnus Knights would go against the very reason why she created Cygnus Knight Organization to begin with: to protect Ereve and the Princess. The things Empress Cygnus was too weak to protect but were so close to her heart.

Empress Cygnus had to use almost all the strength she had to seal away the dark mage, and levitate Ereve in order to separate it from the evil world below. Because of this, she used too much of Shin Su's abilities, and became too weak to handle them. All of this was only to be in vain, for the Dark Mage rose again, forcing the weak Empress to form a group of protectors to put an end to the Dark Mage's tyranny and bring peace to Maple World once again. For her own daughter to join, Cygnus feared that Nyx would meet the same fate as Aran, her beloved husband and Nyx's father, who had died at the hands of the Black mage.

But Nyx was determined to join. As soon as she was at the age of 13, the minimum age of eligibility, Nyx began her training as a Cygnus Knight and slowly climbed the ranks from a lone beginner to a fearsome Nobeless. For 5 years, she went through harsh training and rigorous exercises, and she was now close to accomplishing her goal: to personally be the one to take down the Black Mage and avenge the death of her father.

Nyx finally rose from out of her bed, and stretched," I guess I better get ready. If I lag too much, Neinheart will nag me to death about being late,"

"And who, exactly, will nag you to death?"

Nyx wasn't expecting the cold, superior voice behind her, and jumped at the sound before whirling and seeing who it was.

"Oh," she said flatly, "It's just you Neinheart. You know, you really should knock before entering a lady's room," Nyx walked over to the living set, casually lounging on the couch.

"As soon as you act like one, I'll be sure to do so," he wittily retorted while adjusting the monocle on his face. Nyx stuck out her tongue in response, further proving his point. "In any case, I suggest you hurry up and set off. I have received an urgent message from you're instructor requesting your presence immediately,"

Nyx sat up from her spot, "Kiku? What could he want?"

"We don't know, which is why you should **hurry up** so you can find out. You know Kiku rarely calls out to the palace unless it's important,"

Nyx rolled her eyes, and walked over to her closet. Picking up her uniform, she threw it onto the couch behind her, "Can you please tell Sera to clean my uniform? I was too sleepy to ask last night,"

"Looks like that wasn't the only thing you were too tired to do," he said as he stared at the tea tray left on the table, "I'll just tell her and Maria to clean your entire room," He began walking out of the room.

"Thank you!" she called out as he left. She then walked over to her vanity, looked for a brush, and began to do her hair as she waited for her uniform to be prepared. "I hope they hurry up, I really wanna hear this news Kiku has for me," As if on cue, she heard a knock in the door, only to see that it was Maria and Sera shuffling inside her room.

"Hello girls," Nyx smiled. She was always happy to see Maria and Sera. She found it interesting how the two swore that they had no relation to each other, although they both had a striking resemblance. Nyx always believed they were not telling anyone the whole truth.

"Good day, Lady Nyx," Sera said with a wide grin on her face.

"Lady Nyx, you really must stop being so rough while training!" Maria rushed over; bee lining to where Nyx's damaged uniform was, skipping the normal greetings of hellos.

"Oh yes, because there's no reason you should be ragged and tired when fighting over 100 monsters per day," Nyx sarcastically stated.

Maria apparently didn't catch the sarcasm, "Of course! I mean, this uniform shouldn't be that damaged my Lady! You're so lucky we prepare constant backups for you," Maria then held up the extra clothes for Nyx to wear.

Nyx snatched the uniform from Maria, "Thank you very much," she then headed towards the divider Sera was setting up in front of Nyx's vanity so she could change into it.

Maria rolled her eyes, "I'm serious my Lady! What if you damage that beautiful face of yours?"

"Ha! I'm not so vain that I would freak over a little scratch here or there Maria. Besides, it's not like I'm trying to impress anyone,"

"A scratch!? You body is almost ALWAYS defiled with wounds from your training!"

"And you know," Sera said while walking over to make Nyx's bed, "just because you don't try, doesn't mean you aren't attracting anyone out there. You're a Princess of age; you need to start thinking about possible suitors my Lady,"

"And you're so pretty! You shouldn't have any trouble at all finding one," Maria agreed, picking up the tea tray and setting it on the push cart. She then went on to polish the wooden table it was once on.

"I'm too focused on becoming a Cygnus Knight that I really don't have time for love," Nyx said, zipping up her dress, "And it's not like I'm not like I'm turning people down,"

She then sat down at her vanity, and stared intently at the mirror. Her vivid, turquoise eyes stood prominent compared her snowy white tresses that flawlessly fell down her shoulders and back. Her pale, beige brown skin was smooth and clear of all blemishes, despite the many scratches she received in training. Her mother adored the color of Nyx's skin, for it was the beautiful shade inherited by her father, along with her white hair. But Nyx's cheeks held a slight dewy pink, making it look as though Nyx was always blushing, and her eyes were big and almond shaped. These traits were all her own.

After putting her hair up, Nyx pushed the divider aside and rushed out of the room.

"I'm off you guys! Thanks for your help" Nyx yelled out before disappearing.

The two maids sighed from exasperation once they were alone.

"She really doesn't see it, does she?" Sera said, looking over at Maria

"Nope, not at all. She's one of those rare beauties that don't even recognize what she is,"

"It seems like everyone but her knows that she's the most radiant Princess that was born on Ereve,"

"Such a shame," they both said in unison, hanging their heads solemnly.

Everyone knew, except Nyx, that she was every man's fantasy. She went on throughout life oblivious to the desperate plea of potential suitors wishing to marry her, and the constant showering of gifts, letters of adornment, and other tokens of affection. Not because she didn't find a man to her pleasing, or that she never wished to be married. Only for the sheer fact that she never knew about any of these attempts to catch her gorgeous gaze. She would be so preoccupied with the thought of saving her country, that the letters from her admirers never went noticed, nor did any man catch her attention long enough to be wooed into love.

But that was to change very soon.

.xx.

Nyx was finally ready to head off to the Cygnus Knight Academy and headed off to her mount she received from Neinheart when she was just beginning as a Nobeless. Usually, young knights didn't receive mounts until they had taken their 2nd exam at the academy, but she was making so much progress that she received her mount egg early. After carefully watching a protecting the tiny egg, it finally hatched and became a nice, healthy Titania, a rare bird that was raised exclusively on Ereve. And as Nyx approached her faithful stead, the little bird galloped to her and snuggled its nose against her cheek.

"Whoa there Lotou," Nyx said through her giggles, as the soft feathers of her mount tickled her neck, "I missed you, too". She backed away to inspect herself and see if her Nobeless uniform was out of order due to the cuddle attack Lotou gave her.

She was wearing a short white a line dress that had gold trimmed blue chiffon layered 2 inches short above the hem that stopped right above the knee. It had a sweetheart appliqué, but no one could tell since she had a thin, white coat layered beautifully over it, adorned with a gold and intricately designed button. She wore her gold strap sandals that coordinated perfectly with her hair that was intricately braided and embellished with gold ribbons. Her outfit gave a sense of movement as she began to walk back towards Lotou and begin her trek to the Cygnus Knight Academy.

She and Lotou were going at a leisurely pace, and eventually made it to the Academy just as Kiku opened the gates. His ears perked up slightly at the approach of the two, and turned around to confirm who it was.

"Aahh, well if it isn't my star pupil!" Kiku said with a smirk, "I see Neinheart didn't have you waste any time getting over here,"

Nyx mounted off Lotou and walked over to her instructor, "You know Neinheart. Punctuality isn't something he messes around with. And when the man who would come into my room and wake me up for morning training, sends out for me instead, something must definitely be up. Kiku, I wanna know what it is,"

Kiku groaned, getting a crick out of his neck, "Well, I guess now's a good a time as any. Nyx, I have some important news that is sure to change your life,"

"What is it?" Nyx said, eyeing him quizzically, unsure of what this news would bring.

"I am quite proud to say that after your long years of training, the Knights of Cygnus Trainer, Kidan, has decided that you are ready to take the Examination of Caliber today!"

Nyx's heart skipped a beat, her eyes wide as she heard the news she's been waiting for since she became a Nobeless. She was finally arriving to the top, and was that much closer to presenting the Black Mage's head to her mom on a silver platter. But one thing was stuck in her head.

"T-today?" she sputtered, "I'm taking the exam today!?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry if you aren't exactly ready, but Kidan believed that you would be fine taking the test as soon as you could possibly could. The test begins at 3pm, but if you want I ca-"

"Are you nuts!? I might not get a sooner opportunity like this! Of course I wanna take it today!" Nyx jumped up with glee, happy for this momentous news, "I gotta get potions, and my armor! Hey, you think I can prep up here before I start the test?"

Kiku shrugged, "I don't see why not. You leave all your battle gear here anyway. Well, everything except your Broken Sword,"

"Hehe, yea," Nyx smiled at the mention of her prized weapon that her father once owned when he was a young explorer. She deeply treasured it, and kept it in the best condition as possible, even if it was already broken. Many people told her that the blade of the sword was dull, and couldn't cut paper, let alone any monsters. But Nyx would always make them eat her words, as she used this very sword in all her training battles, and cut down all enemies that crossed her path.

She reached behind her back to unsheathe the sword, only to grab nothing but air. Nyx's heart felt like it dropped, and her huge smile was replaced with a blank stare.

Kiku could sense the distress from her, "Nyx?"

Nyx frantically took off the baldric to see the horrible truth: her sword was gone.

"I…it's missing. The sword. It's not here…" Nyx struggled, saying each word slowly.

"Aw Nyx, I'm sorry…" Kiku said, unsure of what to do, "I know, you can borrow one of the swords we have out bac-"

"NO!" She fiercely yelled out, "I refuse to use any weapon besides my Broken Sword!"

Kiku sighed, "Nyx, I know that sword means a lot to you. But you only have a little bit of time to prepare. It's 1:30 already, if you waste time searching for some sword-"

"I don't care if I only have 30 seconds to prepare for this last minute exam! I'm only using one weapon and that's the Broken Sword!" Nyx boldly stared into Kiku's eyes, and he knew that she was serious.

"Well…fine then. You better hurry up; you may never get a chance like this. You know how rare we allow examination dates to be so close. So who knows how long it would be till another opportunity will come along,"

Nyx gave a breath of relief, "Thank you for understanding,"

She then sprinted over to Lotou and mounted him, and quickly set off in search of her beloved sword.

Kiku waved them off until they were out of sight, then shook his head, "That girl, she's one stubborn Princess, but she has talent. I wonder what kind of knight she will be," He then left to prepare the training hall for Nyx's return.

Nyx had Lotou going full tilt, dashing under the white, ivory arches that led her onto the palace grounds. One of the servants tending to the garden out front noticed Nyx's approach and rushed to greet her, "Princess Nyx, glad to see you safe. Did you have a nice talk with-"

Nyx forced Lotou into an abrupt halt directly in front of the servant, as she jumped over him and landed gracefully on the ground. "No time. Gotta go. Sorry!"

"Bu- what? Lady Nyx?!" He called out, his voiced laced with confusion.

"Put Lotou in her stall for me, please!"

Then servant sighed wearily, and directed Lotou to her stall as he was ordered to.

.xx.

"Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirr! Sir!" Mimo screamed while rushing through the halls in search of Neinheart.

"WHAT is it Mimo? I'm in the middle of reading over an important mission report and all I hear is your infernal hollering!" Neinheart said through clenched teeth. His work was piled sky high and had no time for the tiny creature's ramblings.

"But Sir! The palace is in a complete frenzy!" Mimo chirped out.

"Frenzy!? For why?"

"It seems Lady Nyx has made the service staff help her search for one of her weapons. Causing everyone to abandon their duties and- Huh, wait Sir! I wasn't done explaining!"

But Neinheart didn't bother to listen to the rest of Mimo's explanation. All he needed to hear was "Frenzy", "Nyx", and "Weapons" and he understood the situation immediately.

.xx.

"Quickly people, time is of the essence!" Nyx shouted as she instructed everyone in the search of her broken sword.

"My Lady," Sera said as she rushed over to Nyx's side.

"What's the status report Sera?" Nyx looked over, feeling like a general leading an army. She couldn't help the smug expression that crossed her face, imagining herself as a fitting chief knight, but Sera snapped her out of her little daydream.

"My Lady, we checked your room, the ballroom, the mounting stalls, and every other possible place in the palace that it could have been in the past 24 hours. But even still, we're having no such luck finding it,"

"And you never will find it running around like headless chickens under command of that Princess," Neinheart stated coldly behind Sera, causing her to get a slight chill before she turned to bow at Neinheart.

"Stay out of this Neinheart! And how is it that you can call someone a princess and STILL make it sound like a sarcastic insult!?"

"It's a specialty of mine," he quickly stated before loudly clapping his hands to catch the attention of the frantic staff.

"Now all of you return to your duties. We don't have time to be playing hidden object with the Princess; you all have work to attend to,"

Everyone started to disperse, till finally only Nyx and Neinheart were alone in the foyer. Nyx was pouting, looking away from Neinheart while completely ignoring the killer aura he was sending her.

"Now, _Princess Nyx, _care to explain why you had the entire palace in total chaos just to search for some stupid weapon," Neinheart stated bitterly. His voice wasn't raised, but that only made the hairs on Nyx's neck stand even more.

"I wasn't looking for just ANY weapon, Neinheart," Nyx said in a defeated tone, "I needed to find my sword so that I could prepare for my exam today…"

Neinheart's rage died down a bit, "Exam? Don't tell me…" his voice had a hint of excitement to it.

"Yup," Nyx beamed, "I'm finally going to take the Examination of Caliber and become an official Cygnus Knight!"

Neinheart lost his usually stoic composure and had a moment of glee, "So that's what Kiku wanted to speak to you about! I'm so proud of you Nyx; this is the moment we've all been waiting for!"

Nyx raised a credulous eyebrow, "WE'VE? As in, you included NO-heart?" she jokingly stated, putting emphasis on the Nein part of his name. She was so used to Neinheart covering up his emotions, that it was rare for her to see him so seemingly happy.

"That's MR NO-heart to you young lady," Neinheart said, pinching Nyx's nose before stepping back, regaining his cool attitude, "and I'm not the only one who has been waiting for this day,"

Nyx gave a look of confusion, "What do you mean? Who else has been there for me? Ever since I've decided to 'go rogue' and leave the princess life behind, you, Maria, and Sera have been the only ones to support me…"

Nyx's shoulders slumped, as she remembered the difficult time she had announcing her decision to the kingdom, and how the idea wasn't welcomed with open arms. Though everyone soon realized her determination and cheered for her on the sidelines, Nyx still couldn't manage to stay on good terms with her mother.

Nyx thoughts were interrupted when Neinheart placed his hands on her shoulders, "Nyx, there's no need to worry. You've come a long way since then, and you've proven that your resolve was strong. This promotion is proof of your efforts. I think you should share this great news with your mother"

"But what if it's not enough!?" Nyx's eyes welled up, "What if she's still upset and disappointed? What if she's ashamed, and thinks I'm a failure as a daughter!?"

"Believe me Nyx, if she was ashamed, and thought so less of you, she wouldn't have even allowed you to reside in the kingdom, let alone the palace. I think you need to stop fearing, and start being braver. You're about to be a Cygnus Knight, start acting like one,"

Nyx stared into his eyes, looking for the answer to why Neinheart seemed so sure. In the end, she decided to just trust him, "Alright, I'll go,"

She walked away, heading towards the western wing of the palace where the Empress' room was. Which each step, Nyx tried to receive more confidence, and boldly walked what she believed to be her own personal green mile. Finally, she was at Cygnus' room.

"Well, here goes nothing…"

*knock, knock, knock*

"Come in"

Neinheart sat down at his desk, getting comfortable before letting out a huge sigh.

"Jeez, that Princess is more trouble that she's worth," he then looked up at a picture on his desk. a photo taken 10 years ago, the summer before the black mage attacked. In it was the royal family while they were on a family outing to Amora. Cygnus and Aran were smiling happily, lovingly embracing the young little Nyx while she was pulling Neinheart's ponytail. Nyx asked Neinheart was asked to be in the picture as well, saying he was family too. And with Aran and Cygnus insisting as well, he couldn't refuse. Things were so peaceful then…

"Don't worry Nyx, this news will be good for you. Both you, and Cygnus,"

**THE SERIES IS COMING BACK WITH A VENGANCE! I'm so sorry I was so late with reposting this series, but there was school, and people, and stuff….in short I was uber busy, SO DON'T JUDGE. I plan on slowing down the plot a bit. Add a bit more background, understanding the characters more, and getting rid of stupid details. But in essence, the plot is the same (which is why I didn't change the summery). I hope this series will be better than before **** comments, critics, and all that jazz.**

**Akane 3 You **


End file.
